The Pittsburgh Steelers have been busy this off-season, from identifying the next quarterback, to identifying the future general manager. Stephon Tuitt's availability was one of the major concerns this off-season. With the unexpected news of his retirement from the NFL, all questions and concerns regarding Tuitt were put to rest. Despite the fact that it was somewhat predicted, many people were taken back by the news, which arrived at such an inconvenient moment. Cam Heyward, for one, anticipated him to return this season. Nonetheless, Tuitt has officially retired and will not be playing for Pittsburgh next season, so now I will take a deep dive into how this news affects Pittsburgh and what they should do moving forward.
First and foremost, this is devastating news for Steeler Nation. I'm not even going to try to sugarcoat it and make it seem like this is beneficial to the franchise in the long run. Sure, having that certainty regarding his future helps a little, however, the Steelers are losing an All-Pro caliber player on a defensive line that struggled without him, especially in the run game.
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While the timing and content of the news are both disappointing, Pittsburgh can extract some positives from it. The defensive line rotation is now clear. Because the news broke earlier in the summer, Pittsburgh now has the opportunity to either sign a free agent replacement, or trade for one. There are a lot of good alternatives, and the Steelers don't have to make a selection right away since training camp doesn't start until July.
Another advantage is the increased amount of cap space available. Pittsburgh saves $9.5 million in cap space because the news was announced on June 1st, rather than merely $4 million if it had been announced earlier. Pittsburgh will have more cap space at their disposal, which will provide them greater flexibility in the trade market. Pittsburgh could potentially make a trade for a good or great player without having to worry about money. They can also use this method to fill in additional gaps. Overall, the increased salary cap should only benefit this team if they intend to use it.
Overall, this is a really tough pill to swallow. It's never good to lose an outstanding player like Tuitt, but as Mike Tomlin has said before, "next man up." This opens up more opportunities for players like Montravius Adams and Chris Wormley, who had good seasons last year. It also gives DeMarvin Leal, an incoming rookie, a chance. I honestly believe this team needs to sign or trade for another defensive lineman, preferably one who can defend the run, since we all saw how much they lost Tuitt in that area last season. What a start to the Omar Khan tenure in Pittsburgh.
Photo by Joe Sargent / Getty Images
Who should the Steelers sign to replace Stephon Tuitt? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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